Carbon, the Silicon Valley-based firm behind Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology, has introduced a new resin to its portfolio of 3D printing materials, called the RPU 130. Set to debut at the K Trade Fair in Dusseldorf next week, RPU 130 is designed to be a tough, rigid and high-temperature material for the automotive industry, […]
3D Printing News Sliced: FIT, Shining 3D, General Dynamics, Tessenderlo Group, DuPont
In this edition of our 3D printing news digest, Sliced, we have news about the restoration of 911 Porsche and a parish church using 3D printing, U.S Navy blueprint digitization, and scan-to-CAD software. We start today’s digest with a date for your diary. The European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen), is co-hosting a Special […]
What happened in 3D printing at RAPID & TCT 2019?
As one of the biggest 3D printing events of the year, last week’s RAPID + TCT conference created the busiest news week of 2019 so far. Reporting live from the show, backed by a team covering all of the latest press releases from the event, 3D Printing Industry provided leading coverage of North America’s must-see […]
Rapid 2019: Interview With Christophe Paulo of DuPont “bulk of the Material Extrusion market will be in pellet to parts”
DowDuPont is one of the largest chemicals companies in the world. The firm entered the 3D printing market cautiously and later than most through a partnership with Taulman. Making far less waves than big splash BASF or accelerating Henkel and not having the decades of 3D printing experience of SABIC, DSM, Evonik or Arkema firm entered later than direct selling Solvay and Clariant. Whereas at other polymer and chemicals firms it increasingly seems that 3D printing is strategic, DuPont seems to be targeting practical material applications. No pie in the sky CEO pronouncements but rather functional materials. On the one hand the firm is making FDM filament in PA (polyamide) including insanely high GF load filaments they are also involved with ECCO’s efforts to 3D print silicone.
I’m fascinated to see polymer and chemicals giants engage 3D printing in a completely different way. It will take us years to see whose methods and engagements were the most apt and successful. Go indirect? Partner a lot? Build big departments or invest in existing firms? Focus on OEMs or services? I’m enjoying every minute of learning about all of these firms and their completely opposite learnings, assumptions and plans. Blind gorillas trying to horse ride is this epoch if we see it through the eyes of these polymer giants. They have the same information available to them and the same general ideas but they completely do it their own way.
Right now DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers of DowDuPont’s Specialty Products Division is focusing on automotive ducting, semi-crystalline materials and flexible materials. We interviewed Marketing Manager Christophe Paulo to find out more.
Christophe told 3DPrint.com that, “We are aiming to do is to make it simple for our customers to step into 3D printing.” The company is developing a number of different grades of materials. DuPont’s focus for the moment is on material extrusion technologies (FDM). Uniquely the firm not only is focusing on filament producers but it is also looking to sell granulate. Granulate, the pellets that are used to make filament and are used for injection molding is sold to filament makers. DuPont however really believes on selling granulate to OEMs and filament makers to be sold on to end users. The company is a huge fan of granulate 3D printers such as the Titan.
Christophe explained that, “some of our materials $100 per kilo but pellets you’re looking at $25 per kilo” and that “you can print a lot of parts a lot faster and a lot cheaper with Titan3D or similar faster processes.” DuPont is specifically looking for larger parts here on production where they’re looking at “10,000 parts” or more. “If we start to do mass customization pellets make a lot of sense,” says Cristophe.
Zytel automotive part
Pellet extruders have been around for a number of years. Technically not really perfected they’ve been a novelty. If Christophe is right and pellet extruders would make a big impact on the material extrusion market then this would mean a sea change for the 3D printing industry. Much material development, compounding, and production is being done by specialized filament companies such as Innofill3D, Mitsubishi, Colorfabb. A big switch to pellets would hit their margins very hard. This may also mean that distributors such as Resinex would be more inclined to sell direct to the market as well. Or more compounders could get involved in 3D printing. A lot of material extrusion innovation comes from filament companies. They are also the main center for knowledge exchange between end users, polymer companies and OEMs. Granulate would still have to be compounded and optimized for 3D printing through additives but the impact on the filament makers and 3D printing ecosystem would be huge. For their own materials, DuPont had to extensively, “work on the chemistry to make it printable.“
So far the company sells both filament and pellets direct and through distributors. Along with Solvay, the firm is the only one to have a direct offering which is noteworthy. “We are nonexclusive so if a filament company wants to use our pellets we supply the material.” The company is “stepping into Nylon, TPE” and is looking at more materials. For now, they have Zytel with Carbon Fiber. This Polyamide 6/12 has a 20% Cabon Fiberfill. Polyamide with carbon fiber fill is a huge growth material for a lot of manufacturers since the stiffness and other properties are good. Christophe mentioned that “they also have grades of GF 30% and 50% GF.” These GF (glass filled) grades are similar to the materials used in automotive applications and familiar to companies in automotive. The team really worked hard to, ” make the material really easy to print and match properties with existing materials used by our customers.” They’re positioning their material as much cheaper than PEEK but above ABS in price. It sells for around 89 Euros for a Kilo. It may not have everything PEEK has but it’s at a price that makes sense to use in bulk, “the right price for the right properties.”
If we look at the future Christophe firmly believes that, “the future of 3D printing is in series and mass customization.” He also, rather uniquely, thinks that “the bulk of the Material Extrusion market will be in pellet to parts” and mentions that, “We really believe in pellet printers.” This kind of strong opinion in favor of pellets is absent at the other big polymer companies and a very notable position to take.
3D Printing News Briefs: April 21, 2019
We’re beginning with an aerospace 3D printing story in 3D Printing News Briefs today, then moving on to news about some upcoming industry events and finishing with a little business. Launcher tested its 3D printed rocket engine on an important date in history. DuPont will be introducing new semi-crystalline 3D printing products at RAPID + TCT, and Nanofabrica has offered to 3D print micro parts at no cost for interested companies attending the annual euspen conference. Ira Green Inc. used Rize technology to transform its production process, GOM is now part of the Zeiss Group, and the Ivaldi Group received its ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Launcher Tests 3D Printed Rocket Engine
New York startup Launcher, which uses EOS technology to create 3D printed components for metal rocket engines, has completed many firing tests with these parts over the last year and a half. Recently, on the anniversary of the date the first human left Earth to go into space, the startup announced the results of the latest test.
Launcher’s founder and CEO Max Haot posted on his LinkedIn account that the E-1 copper bi-metal rocket engine, which was 3D printed on the EOS M290, broke the startup’s combustion pressure record at 625 psi, mr 2.5. It will be interesting to see how the engine performs on its next test.
DuPont to Introduce New Semi-Crystalline Materials
At next month’s RAPID + TCT in Detroit, DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers (T&AP), a DowDuPont Specialty Products Division business, will be launching an expansion to its 3D printing portfolio: advanced, high-performance semi-crystalline materials, which will give customers more manufacturing agility and open new opportunities to lower costs while increasing production.
Jennifer L. Thompson, Ph.D., R&D programs manager for DuPont T&AP, will be presenting a technical paper about the materials during the event as part of the Material Development and Characterization session. During her presentation at 10:15 am on May 23rd, Thompson will discuss alternative 3D printing methods, like pellet extrusion modeling, in addition to highlighting new engineering materials and talking about tailored material testing programs. Thompson and other DuPont employees will be at DuPont T&AP’s booth #552 at RAPID to answer questions about the company’s 3D printing materials.
Nanofabrica Offers Free 3D Printing Services for euspen Attendees
Last month, Israeli 3D printing startup Nanofabrica announced the commercial launch of its micro resolution 3D printing platform. In order to show off the system’s abilities to potential customers, Nanofabrica has made an enticing offer to attendees at next month’s euspen conference and exhibition in Spain: the startup will print parts for interested companies at no charge. Then, the parts printed on the new micro AM platform will be presented to them at the event, which focuses on the latest technological developments that are growing innovation at the micron and sub-micron levels.
“It’s quite simple really. We believe that the best way to prove what our AM system can do, how high the resolution and accuracy of the parts we make are, is to manufacture parts for attendees,” Jon Donner, the CEO of Nanofabrica explained. “Registered attendees are welcome to send us their files, and we will examine and print them. That is how confident we are that you will be amazed by the capabilities of our system, and this we feel will mean that we can forge meaningful relationships with manufacturers that will endure into the future.”
Rize 3D Printing Transformed Company’s Production Process
Rhode Island-based IRA Green Inc. (IGI), a full-service manufacturer and distributor of unique uniform items earned and worn by military personnel around the world, recently turned to RIZE and its 3D printing capabilities in order to manufacture small fixtures for its tool shop. The company’s products are in high demand, but lead times were growing longer due to bottlenecks and 8 hours of work for each $300 fixture. Precision is also important for these parts, which is why IGI decided to turn to the RIZE ONE hybrid 3D printer. According to a new case study, IGI’s design team uses the printer every day to manufacture accurate fixtures in just 50 minutes for $2.00 a part. Using the RIZE ONE, which has the unique capability of adding ink markings to parts for verification, the company has been able to standardize its nails and molds, which helped lead to an ROI in less than five months.
IGI’s Manufacturing Manager, Bill Yehle said, “Implementing RIZE 3D printing as part of a strategic process shift has completely transformed our production process.
“We have realized an 80% time savings in setup and changeover alone using RIZE and virtually eliminated errors.”
ZEISS Group Acquires GOM
In an effort to expand its industrial metrology and quality assurance portfolio, the ZEISS Group, a technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics fields, has acquired GOM, which provides hardware and software for automated 3D coordinate measuring technology. By combining GOM’s optical 3D measuring technology with its own products, ZEISS could expand market access, and create new opportunities, for its Industrial Quality & Research segment. Once the transaction is complete, which should happen soon, GOM will become part of this ZEISS segment, while the legal form of its companies in Germany and elsewhere will stay the same. The financial details of the transaction will not be discussed publicly.
“Our growth strategy expressly mentions the targeted acquisition of highly innovative solutions, technologies and companies, which can reach their full potential as part of the ZEISS Group. By acquiring GOM and thereby expanding our solutions portfolio, we are bolstering the leading position of our Industrial Quality & Research segment and will be able to offer even better solutions for our customers. This is entirely in keeping with our corporate strategy, which is focused on our customers’ success,” said Dr. Michael Kaschke, President & CEO of ZEISS.
Ivaldi Group Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification
California startup Ivaldi Group, which uses 3D printing and metal fabrication solutions to provide in-port parts on-demand services for the maritime, mining, offshore, and construction industries has become ISO 9001:2015 certified in less than ten months. This standard, which is certifies quality managements systems that focus on customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and active involvement of employees and management in a process-based approach, is the first step in the certification process that’s required to certify specific products. This proves Ivaldi’s commitment to constantly improving itself.
“Certifying our quality management system has helped us to structure our processes to create a solid foundation. This will allow us to improve efficiency, productivity, and traceability,” said Anna D’Alessio, Quality Management Specialist of Ivaldi Group. “Global quality management systems are important to align processes and optimize operations across facilities. This certification proves our commitment to meet requirements of stakeholders affected by our work.”
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DuPont debuts industrial carbon and glass-reinforced 3D printing filaments at Formnext
DowDuPont Specialty Products Division’s global business unit, DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers, introduced its new glass and carbon-reinforced 3D printing filaments at Formnext last week. Stemming from the DuPont Zytel specialty nylons for 3D printing, the new material grades, Zytel 3D12G30FL BK309 and Zytel 3D10C20FL BK544, are said to be comparable to existing reinforced injection […]